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--Denise M.
Brown, Professional Coach; Publisher & Editor,
Caregiving.com; Executive Director, The Center for Family
Caregivers |
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About Denise
and her work:
Denise M.
Brown and operates The Center for Family Caregivers and Tad Publishing
Co., both based in Park Ridge, Ill. Through her organizations, Denise
helps persons who care for an aging relative. Through Tad Publishing Co.,
Denise gives presentations and
seminars about the caregiving experience; created and maintains the
Caregiving.com web site; and coaches family caregivers and professionals
interested in working with family caregivers.
In addition, she is
Executive Director and Founder, The Center for Family Caregivers. The
Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping persons who care
for chronically ill or disabled family members.
About Denise
and her work:
- Debuted Caregiving.com in 1996 to provide
information and support for family caregivers. Featured areas of the site
include: “The Caregiving Years", featuring hundreds of links to resources
and organizations; “Your Care”, featuring a weekly tip and stress
management tips; “Support Center”, featuring Denise’s advice column; eleven
online support groups; and a forum where caregivers can post a
memory, a struggle, a solution or a hope. Denise developed one of the first online support groups for family caregivers in 1996.
“Denise, I've been a caregiver to my husband since 1994 and
have
been basically in the dark all this time. Hooray!! I've found you.”
--A family caregiver
“I
cried for three days after finding this group. I’m so grateful
to know I
am not alone.”
--A
Member of an online support group at Caregiving.com
- Caregiving.com is regularly listed a national resource for family
caregivers. Its online support groups were listed as one of four coping
resources for family caregivers for the companion web site of The
Forgetting, a 90-minute documentary which aired nationally in January
2004, at pbs.org. The other resources were Mayo Clinic, AARP and
Washington University in St. Louis.
- The web site
was listed as one of the best resources on the Internet for family caregivers by Modern Maturity magazine (May/June 1997), the publication of
American Association of Retired Persons and as a resource for seniors in
Business Week magazine. In addition, the site was chosen as a "Hot Site"
by USA Today Online on April 1, 1998. Hot sites exhibit something
remarkable in content, according the USA Today Online.
- Created Caregiving!, a monthly subscription newsletter that
helped persons caring for an aging relative (first issue: January 1995; final issue: April 2005).
The newsletter featured stories that addressed issues such as caregiver
guilt and anger, maintaining a healthy relationship with the care
recipient, and making the most of the caregiving experience.
“I
read every issue, cover to cover, as soon as I receive it.”
--A
Subscriber to Caregiving! newsletter
- Developed
family caregiver survey conducted annually since 1996. Survey
captures information about the family caregivers' challenges and stresses,
as well as their needs for additional community services. Survey results
appear on Caregiving.com.
- Regularly
provide interviews to the press, such as daily newspapers, monthly
magazines and radio programs. Quoted in eldercare articles in The Wall
Street Journal on December 10, 1997, and June 20, 2002 and in Time magazine (June 2005). Work with
reporters writing about eldercare issues from publications such as More
magazine, USA Today, Redbook, and Smart Money.
- Created and
authored The Caregiving Years, Six Stages to a Meaningful Journey, a
handbook for family caregivers. Developed a complimentary manual for
health care professionals and six accompanying posters.
“I
enjoyed your page very much. I see much of my experience and experiences
to come in what you have written. It is an integrated response.
My wife of
29 years had trauma to the head in '93 and has developed a severe onset
of
dementia. I just retired to part time this year in order to help out more,
but I think I'm now in stage three. This is why I found your page so
helpful.
I think the key words are on target. Much appreciated.”
--A Visitor to Caregiving.com
About her
consulting/speaking services:
- Is a
consultant/trainer for LifeCare, a national Work/Life Benefits company.
Denise offers seminars and workshops for LifeCare’s Chicago-based clients.
Attendees to Denise's workshops regularly rate her presentations as "very
good" or "excellent".
- Presented at caregiving conferences and workshops, including those sponsored by Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland (Springfield, Ill.), Areawide Aging Agency (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Oklahoma Aging Advocacy Leadership Academy (OAALA) and Parkinson Center of Oregon (Portland, Ore.).
- Worked with the Chicago Department on Aging and its Caregiving Initiative. Denise presented at the department's caregiving workshops and worked with department to develop ongoing seminars and workshops for
family caregivers and for the health care professionals who help them.
“I heard you
talk in San Diego. Great presentation.”
--Workshop
Attendee
- Member,
National Speakers Bureau sponsored by Marriott Senior Living Services and
New York Life in 2002. The bureau consisted of five nationally recognized
eldercare experts.
- Participated
in Consensus Development Conference on Caregiving: Agenda for Action,
hosted by National Health Council, December 2-3, 1998, in Alexandria, Va.
Participants at the invitation-only conference developed a white paper to
address the nation's growing need to support and help family caregivers of
the disabled, chronically ill and frail elderly.
- Present
annually from 1999 until 2004 at American Society on Aging annual conferences.
Presented information on how to start and maintain successful support
groups for family caregivers at the 1995 and 1996 Illinois Department of
Aging's annual conference in Chicago.
About The
Center for Family Caregivers:
- Developed and distributed
Kits for Caregivers to help family caregivers throughout their multi-year journey: The New
Caregiver kit helps persons when they first begin to worry about an aging
relative; The Seasoned Caregiver kit helps persons who have been a
caregiver for several years; and The Transitioning Caregiver kit help
persons whose role as a caregiver has ended.
- Sponsor Annual Family Caregiver Awareness Days: Cook for a
Caregiver (in March), Job Jar Day (in September) and Kiss a Caregiver (in
November).
Denise can
be reached at 773-343-6341 or via e-mail at
denise@caregiving.com.
Interested in coaching?
Wondering
how to get started?
Sign up for a
free complementary coaching session. Denise will call you and demonstrate
how coaching can help you. To sign up for your free session, e-mail Denise
with the subject line: Free
Coaching Session. And, please indicate when you are available (day and
time) for the session. The session will take between 30 and 45 minutes.
Ready to
go?
To start coaching with Denise, send her an e-mail
with the message: Let’s Go!
Coaching makes a great gift! If you are worried about a family member
(your sister, your mom, your dad) who is the primary family caregiver,
consider purchasing a three-month coaching package on behalf of the family
caregiver. It's a wonderful way to show your support!
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About Denise
and Her Work:
"One of the things you said made a profound impact on
me, i.e., it isn't my responsibility to make my mom happy. She has
suffered from depression on and off her whole life. When I try to help
her and get no results I get frustrated and depressed myself. Sometimes
when you give people more responsibility, they get better on their own.
Anyway, thanks again. This month I plan to go to a support group. This
weekend I am going away and next month I am taking a week's vacation. It
is nice to know there are people like you in this world."
"Many, many thanks for your email. Your words have given
me hope."
"Your response
has been extremely helpful to me in many ways. Thank you for enabling me
to gain a more perspective on the entire situation."
"You bring up
very important issues to consider and I will pursue them before any
decision is made."
"You have very accurately grasped the situations and
described them from all the different angles we need to consider. Your
experience is invaluable in showing me what perspectives need to be taken
into account and balanced."
"Thank you so much for your
insight. It all made so much sense. It's always hard to think things
through logically when you are in the throws of it!"
"Thank you
so much ~
you heard
me."
The Caregiving Years
Ask Denise
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